Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Pay Attenion To The Man Behind The Curtain

Up until a couple years ago, my life was in a pretty serious rut. It wasn't anything bad. It's just that each year was pretty much like the movie Ground Hog's Day. Each year pretty much was just like the one before it.

My prayer had been for years that I didn't want to be in the same place next year. Just like your parents did when you were little by marking your growth with pencil marks on the door jamb, I wanted to be able to mark my own personal development. But it seemed that there wasn't any discernible growth. I wasn't being challenged or stretched in any tangible way.I was very comfortable in my environment. I had carved out a niche in my life, and pretty much walked in it daily. That's fine. Nothing wrong with that. But all I had done was refined the same old thing I had been doing for years.

Finally, God made me a proposition. He gave me the option to stay where I was, or to take a bold and blind step of faith. I could continue doing what I was doing, which wasn't bad stuff. Or, I could venture into a new frontier as far as my life was concerned. I see they've resurrected the game show I remember as a child, Let's Make A Deal. In a sense, this is where I was. I could take the prize that I could see very clearly. I knew exactly what I was getting. It was safe. It was familiar. Or I could take what was behind the curtain. I had no idea what was on the other side, except for the assurance that whatever it was, God was behind it.

I chose the curtain.If you find yourself in a place where you simply can't see any new marks on your door jamb, it's likely God wants to change things up for you. That doesn't necessarily mean God wants you to move to a new city. It definitely means He wants to move you into greater faith and reliance upon Him. When we get into a rut, we're not dependent upon Him. We've done it so many times and for so long, we practically go on auto pilot. We can do it in our sleep.

I can confidently report to you today that no matter where God's plan leads me in the future, the things that have happened in my life over the last 18 months have changed me and will be part of my life from here on. I see markings along my door jamb that show me I've made progress. The thing is, there's still lots of room for more growth.

I can't encourage you strongly enough. Don't get into a rut. It will suck the life right out of you. God wants to show you what you're capable of when you truly rely on Him for everything!